Manifold

ABSTRACT

A manifold with interconnecting, non-threaded modular sections. The connected sections define a fluidic passageway and at least one valved outlet. The valved outlet is reversible to enable the valve to be readily accessible when the modular section is in any orientation. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b).

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation under 35 U.S.C. §120 of U.S. patentapplication Ser. no. 10/405,901, filed Apr. 2, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No.6,929,032.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to fluid control devices and, in particular, thisinvention relates to devices partitioning fluid under pressure to one ormore fixtures.

2. Background of the Invention

Manifolds are often used to direct fluid from a main supply source toseveral fixtures. These manifolds may include modular components toaccommodate varying patterns of distribution, the patterns often uniqueat each installation. These modular components may include valvedoutlets. The modular components are ideally mated quickly andefficiently in fluid-tight connections. Methods of securing matedmodular components often involve threaded connectors, couplers, or thelike. Each of these methods may require extensive time and specializedtools to assemble and disassemble the manifold.

In view of the foregoing, there is a need for a manifold with modularcomponents, which can be assembled quickly and efficiently withoutextensive or specialized tools. There is also a need for a manifold,which can be disassembled and reassembled to provide fluids for achanged pattern of fixtures.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention substantially meets the aforementioned needs ofthe industry by providing a modular manifold section. The manifoldsection may include a body portion, a first outlet extending integrallyfrom the body portion, and an optional second outlet extendingintegrally from the body portion and generally opposed to the firstoutlet. The body portion may define a body portion passageway and mayinclude a male connecting structure disposed at a first end of the bodyportion. A first pair of brackets flanking the male connecting structuremay be present. The body portion may also include a female connectingstructure disposed at a second end thereof. A second pair of bracketsmay flank the female connecting structure. Each of the first and secondpair of brackets may define a plurality of openings accommodating alocking pin. The first outlet may define a first outlet passageway,which may open into the body portion passageway. The first outlet mayalso include a valve. The valve may include a valve spool and a valvehousing accommodating the valve spool. The valve housing may be formedintegrally with the remainder of the outlet and with the manifoldsection body portion. The valve housing may accommodate the valve spoolsuch that the valve spool is insertable in the valve housing in a firstvertical position, or in a second vertical position, the second positionoriented generally 180 degrees with respect to the first position.

A manifold section is provided having a manifold section body and aninlet extending from the manifold section body. The manifold sectionbody may define a manifold section body passageway and may include afemale connecting structure disposed at a first end of the manifoldsection body and a pair of brackets flanking the female connectingstructure. Each of the pair of brackets may define a plurality ofopenings accommodating a locking pin. The inlet may extend from a secondend of the manifold section and may define an inlet passageway. Theinlet passageway may be substantially coaxial to the manifold sectionbody passageway.

A method of assembling a manifold is provided. The manifold may includea first manifold section and a second manifold section. Each of thefirst and second manifold sections may include a body portion and anoutlet portion integral to the body portion. Each body portion mayinclude a male connecting structure disposed at one end of the bodyportion and an opposed pair of brackets generally flanking the maleconnecting structure. Each of the manifold sections may further includea female connecting structure disposed at another end of the bodyportion and a generally opposed pair of female brackets flanking thefemale connecting structure. The method may include mating the femaleconnecting structure of the first manifold section to the maleconnecting structure of the second manifold section. The method mayfurther include securing the mated first and second sections byaccommodating a locking pin accommodated in aligned male and femalebrackets.

A method of manufacturing a manifold section is also provided. Themethod may include forming a body portion having a male connector at oneend of the body portion and a female connector at another and of thebody portion, an opposed pair of male brackets flanking the maleconnector, and an opposed pair of female brackets flanking the femaleconnector. The body portion may define an interior fluidic passageway.The method may also include integrally forming an outlet with the bodyportion, the outlet defining an outlet passageway in fluid communicationwith the body portion passageway and containing a reversible valve.

It is a feature that the present manifold includes a plurality ofmodular sections.

It is an advantage that the modular sections of the present manifoldenable configurations for any number and the disposition offluid-consuming fixtures.

It is a feature of the present invention that the modular sectionsthereof include non-threaded matable male and female connectingstructures.

It is an advantage that the modular sections can be interconnectedwithout wrenches or other tools and supplies necessary for threadedfittings.

It is another advantage that the modular sections can be separatedwithout wrenches or other tools necessary for threaded fittings.

It is a feature of the present invention that modular sections thereofinclude invertible valve components.

It is an advantage of the invertible valve components that the valve maybe configured so that valve handles are always easily accessible.

It is a feature of the present invention that mated modular sections arefixed in place by inserting removable locking pens.

It is an advantage that the present manifold may be reconfigured to meetchanged requirements by removing the locking pins and separatingpreviously mated modular sections.

It is another advantage that the present manifold sections may beinterconnected using locking pins, rather than tools such as wrenchesrequired for threaded openings.

It is a feature of the present invention that the modular sections canbe mated in a first configuration or in a second configuration, thesecond configuration in which one of the modular sections is rotated 180degrees about the modular section longitudinal axis.

It is an advantage of the present invention that modular sections withsingle outlets can be oriented in a desired direction.

These and other objects, features, and advantages of this invention willbecome apparent from the description which follows, when considered inview of the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present manifold;

FIG. 2 is a perspective, exploded view of the manifold of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective, exploded view of a double section of themanifold of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a single section of the manifold of FIG.1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the double section of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the of the divider section of themanifold of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the manifold of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a cross section of the manifold of FIG. 7 taken line A—A;

FIG. 9 is a cross section of an end section of FIG. 7 taken along lineB—B;

FIG. 10 is a cross section of an outlet portion of FIG. 7 taken alongline C—C; and

FIG. 11 is a cross section of a divider section of FIG. 7 taken alongline D—D.

It is understood that the above-described figures are only illustrativeof the present invention and are not contemplated to limit the scopethereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Any references to such relative terms as front and back, upper andlower, inboard and outboard, or the like, are intended for convenienceof description and are not intended to limit the present invention orits components to any one positional or spatial orientation. Alldimensions of the components in the attached figures may vary with apotential design and the intended use of an embodiment of the inventionwithout departing from the scope of the invention.

Each of the additional features and methods disclosed herein may beutilized separately or in conjunction with other features and methods toprovide improved manifolds and methods for making the same.Representative examples of the teachings of the present invention, whichexamples utilize many of these additional features and methods inconjunction, will now be described in detail with reference to thedrawings. This detailed description is merely intended to teach a personof skill in the art further details for practicing aspects of thepresent teachings and is not intended to limit the scope of theinvention. Therefore, specific combinations of features and methodsdisclosed in the following detailed description may not be necessary topractice the invention in the broadest sense and are instead taughtmerely to particularly describe representative and preferred embodimentsof the invention.

An exemplary modular manifold embodiment is depicted in FIGS. 1, 2, and7 generally at 100. Exemplary modules include a single section 102, adouble section 104, an end section 106, and a divider section 108. Themanifold 100 may be advantageously used to provide fluids, such as freshwater, to several fixtures from single hot and cold water supplysources. However, it should be understood that the present manifold maybe used to supply fixtures with a single fluid source as well. It isalso contemplated that the present manifold could be configured tosupply several sources of fluid to fixtures, e.g., three or more typesof fluids. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, a hot water supplytubing 110 and a cold water supply tubing 112 convey hot and cold waterfrom supply sources (not shown) to fixtures (not shown). Hot water fromthe tubing 110 is conveyed to plumbing fixtures via the double section104 into tubing members 114 and 116 and via the single section 102 intoa tubing member 118. In a similar manner, cold water is conveyed fromthe cold water supply tubing, 112 to plumbing fixtures via the doublesection 104 in to tubing members 122 and 124 and via the single sections102 into tubing members 126 and 128. The present manifold sections canbe assembled to provide supply fluids to virtually any configuration offixtures, e.g., advantageously by connectors such as locking pins 130having prongs 132 depending from a cross member 134. The connectors canto inserted or withdrawn easily and quickly and without specializedtools. Alternatively, other connectors such as cotter pins or the likemay be used as well. Moreover, the present modular manifold can bereadily adapted to changing needs, in which modular sections are removedor added as dictated by the change. Additionally, assembly andreassembly of the present modular manifold assembly is effected withoutwrenches, solder, heat sources (e.g., torches), caulking, or other toolsand supplies necessary when threaded or soldered components are used.

Referring to FIGS. 3–5, 7, 8, and 10, the single and double sections 102and 104 are substantially unitary (or otherwise integral) in thisembodiment, but may be considered to include a generally cylindricalbody portion 140 and an outlet portion 142. With respect to the bodyportion 140, a fluidic passageway 144 is defined by an interior surface145. The body portion 140 of the each of the single and double sections102 and 104 terminates in an interconnect structure such as a femaleconnection 146 and a male connection 148. The female connections 146include respective and substantially identical (or similar) and opposedfirst and second brackets 150 and 152 disposed substantially outboard anoutboard surface 156 displayed by the body portion 140 and in a flankingrelation to an adjacent part of the body portion 140. Each first andsecond bracket 150 and 152 has a base 156, an outboard member 158 and aninboard member 160. The base 156 defines lateral openings 162 and 163.The openings 162 and 163 on opposed first and second brackets 150 and152 are disposed and dimensioned so as to align. A slot 164 is definedbetween the outboard and inboard members 158 and 160. The generallycentral gap 166 is defined in the outboard member 158. A generallycentral tab 168 is defined by the inboard member 160. The tab 168 may beslightly smaller in height than the inboard member 160. Each bracketbase 150 displays an inner surface 170 and an outboard surface 172. Theinner surface 170 may be substantially continuous with the body interiorsurface 145 in some embodiments.

Each male connection 148 may be considered to include substantiallyidentical lateral brackets 180 and 182 and a male connecting structure184. The brackets 180 and 182 flank the male connecting structure 184 isthe embodiment shown. The lateral brackets 180 and 182 are dimensionedso as to fit snugly between the female first and second brackets 150 and152 and so that openings 186, defined in each lateral bracket 180 and182, align with the female bracket openings 162 and 163. The maleconnecting structure 184, in turn, may define a respective outer surface190 with a groove 192, respective inner surfaces 194 and 196, and anoutboard surface 198. The groove 192 may accommodate a seal such as ano-ring 197. In the embodiment depicted, the inner surface 194 has asmaller diameter than the inner surface 196. The inner surface 196, inturn, has a smaller diameter than the inner surface 145 of the bodyportion 140.

Each outlet portion 142 may integrally include a valve 200 which has agenerally cylindrical valve housing 202. The outlet portion 142 may alsohave a connector structure 204. In addition to the valve housing 202,the valve 200 may include a valve spool, and a valve handle (bothdisclosed infra). The valve housing 202 displays an inner surface 206.The valve housing inner surface 206 defines a valve housing bore 207 andcommunicates with a passageway 208 (shown in phantom in FIG. 3). Thepassageway 208 opens into (or otherwise is in fluid communication with)the body portion passageway 144. The outlet passageway 208 extendsthrough the connector structure 204 as well. In one embodiment, theconnector structure 204 is disclosed in copending, and above referenced,U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/405,901.(attorney docket number2351.06us02).

The valve housing bore 207 snugly accommodates a valve spool 210. Avalve stem 212 may coaxially extend from the valve spool 210. In theembodiment disclosed, the valve stem 212 has an arcuate portion 214 anda generally planar portion 216. A notch 217 may be present on the planarportion 216 and may extend generally transversely to a longitudinal axisof the valve stem 212. The respective valve stem arcuate and planarportions 214 and 216 are accommodated by a correspondingly shaped bore218 in the valve handle 220. The notch 217 may snugly fit a raisedportion 222 in the valve handle bore 218 to more firmly secure the valvehandle 220 to the valve stem 212 by a friction-enhanced fit. The valvespool 210 has a bore 224 defined by a bore interior surface 226. Thebore 224 is generally orthogonal (or otherwise transverse) to alongitudinal axis 227 of the valve spool 210. The valve spool 210 alsodisplays an exterior surface 228, the exterior surface 228 definingrespective generally circumferential upper and lower grooves 230 and 232and a pair of opposed middle grooves 234. The upper and lower grooves223 and 224 are disposed proximate respective upper and lower endsurfaces 236 and 238 of the valve spool 210 and the middle grooves 234are generally circular (or otherwise arcuate) and generally follow thecontour of the valve spool exterior surface 228. The upper and lowergrooves 230 and 232 and the middle grooves 234 are dimensioned tooperably receive respective o-rings 240 and 242. The lower end 238 maybe in the form of a flange 244 with a larger diameter than the remainderof the valve spool 210.

The connector structure 204 includes a connector body 252, a collet 254,a collar 256, a guide 258, and a seal such as an o-ring a 260. Furtherand more detailed disclosure is contained in the above-referenced andcopending U.S. Patent Application.

Referring specifically to FIGS. 2 and 9, embodiments of the end section106 may be operably installed at each end of the present manifold toprovide a fluid supply thereto. An exemplary embodiment of the presentand section 106 may include a body portion 270 and an outlet portion272. The body portion 270 and the outlet portion 272 may cooperate todefine an extension of the body passageway 144, through which the fluidsupply is enabled. While a fluid control device is not depicted, theoutlet portion 272 may optionally include a control valve, such as thevalve 200. In this embodiment the end section 106 has a femaleconnection substantially identical to, or similar to, the femaleconnection 146 disclosed supra and substantially similar (or identical)elements are numbered identically to those discussed with respect to thesingle and double sections 104 and 104 supra. However, in otherembodiments of the present invention, a male connection, e.g., the maleconnection 148, may be present. In contrast to the single and doublesections 102 and 104, the end section 106 includes a terminal partition274, which defines an opening 276 fluidly communicating with the outletportion 272. The end section 106 may also have respective first andsecond inner surfaces 278 and 280, the inner surface 278 with a largerdiameter than the second inner surface 280. The outlet portion 272extends generally coaxially from the body portion 270 and, in theembodiment depicted, has a valve (such as the valve 200 disclosed supra)and a connector structure installed therein, such as the connectorstructure 204. The body portion 270 may also include respective brackets282 and 284, which may, in turn, define respective bores 286 and 288.

One embodiment of a divider section 108 is depicted in FIGS. 1, 2, 6, 7,and 11 and includes a body portion 300 defining a terminus of the bodypassageway 144 for the two fluid supply systems depicted. The dividersection 108 shown has two male connections 148 and correspondingstructural elements are marked identically to those shown and describedsupra. However, it is understood that female connections, such as femaleconnection 146 or that a male connection 148 and a female connection 146could be present if desired. Additionally, the divider section 108 has apartition 302 and a bracket 304 formed integrally with the lateralbrackets 180 and 182 and defining bores 306.

The present body sections may be made from materials such as suitablesynthetic resins, e.g., thermoplastics. Various thermoplastics andproperties thereof are disclosed in “Handbook of Plastics, Elastomers,and Composites, Third Edition,” Charles A. Harper (Editor-in-Chief),McGraw-Hill, New York (1996), the entire disclosure of the foregoingdocument hereby incorporated by reference. A person of ordinary skill inthe art will recognize that several thermoplastics disclosed anddescribed in the foregoing document may be identified for specificembodiments of the present invention without undue experimentation. Inone embodiment, the present body sections are made from polysulfones oran acetal copolymer such as Delrin®, available from Dupont®. The presentvalve handles may be made from materials identified from theabove-incorporated “Handbook of Plastics, Elastomers, and Composites,”e.g., Delrin®. However, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) may alsobe suitable for some embodiments. The present locking pins may be madefrom materials with the desired degree of stiffness, resilience, andresistance to corrosion, such as stainless steel or carbon or alloysteel and are available from Tri Star, Inc. of New Jersey. Seals such asO-rings may be made from such materials as ethylene-propylene-diene(EPDM) or nitrile rubber. Other suitable materials for the present sealsmay be readily identified from the above-referenced “Handbook ofPlastics, Elastomers, and Composites, Third Edition” by persons ofordinary skill in the art.

In use, the present manifold is assembled by mating male and femaleconnections of the manifold sections in the desired order. For example,in the manifold embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, the dividersection 108 may be mated to single sections 102. Recalling that thisembodiment of the divider section 108 has only male connections 148, themale connections 148 are mated to the single section female connections146. Mating these connections includes forcing the male connectingstructure 184 into the passageway 144 of the female connection such thatthe male first inner surface 194 slidingly contacts the female innersurface 170 and such that the openings 186 of the brackets 180 and 82align with the openings 162 and 163 of the brackets 150 and 152 of thefemale connection. At this point the male connection outboard surface198 abuts the stepped transition between the male connection innersurface 170 and the interior surface of the body passageway 145. Also atthis point, the O-ring 197 is in a sealing contact with the femaleconnection inner surface 170. The mated sections may then be fixed inplace by extending locking pin prongs 132 through the aligned openings162–186–163 of the male and female brackets. When the outlet portion 142of a single section 102 is in the desired orientation, the valve handle220 may nonetheless be oriented such that the valve handle 220 will beinaccessible when the present manifold is operably installed on asurface. If so, the valve handle 220 may be separated from the valvestem 212 by exerting a force on the valve handle 220 away from the valvespool 210 until the valve stem a 212 is pulled from the valve handlebore 218. The valve spool 210 may then be removed from the valve housing202, reversed, and inserted in an opposite vertical orientation. Thevalve spool 210 is then reinserted into the valve housing 202 until thespool flange 244 contacts the valve housing 202. The valve stem 212 isthen reinserted in the valve handle 220 until the valve stem notch 217is seated in the raised portion 222 of the valve handle bore 218. Thepresent manifold sections are assembled in the desired order so as todeliver fluid to a specific pattern of fixtures. After the sections arein the desired order, end sections 106 are mated onto the terminalsingle or double sections and the assembled manifold may be fastened toa surface by extending fasteners, such as screws or nails, through theopenings 306 in the divider sections and through the openings 286 and288 of the end sections and into an underlying structure such as a joistor panel. The end sections are then connected to fluid sources, such aspressurized sources of hot and cold water. If valves are present in theoutlet portions of the end sections 106, the valves are rotated untilthe valve spool bores 224 are coaxial with the connector passageway 208to allow the pressurized fluids to flow into the body passageway 144(formed by the interconnected section body portions). The fluid may thenbe admitted into the individual conduits and thereby to the fixtures byrotating the valves in the single and/or double sections as discussedsupra. If desired, the fluid can be discontinued either from thepressurized fluid source or to the individual fixtures by rotating thevalve handles (e.g., 90 degrees) so that the valve spool bores 224 areorthogonal (or otherwise transverse) to the connector passageway 208 andso that the valve stem exterior surface blocks the passageway 208,thereby forming a fluid-tight seal along with the O-rings 240 and 242.

Because numerous modifications of this invention may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit thereof, the scope of the invention is not tobe limited to the embodiments illustrated and described. Rather, thescope of the invention is to be determined by the appended claims andtheir equivalents.

1. A manifold section comprising: a body portion including a maleconnecting structure disposed at a first end of the body portion, and afemale connecting structure disposed at a second end of the bodyportion, and a body portion passageway extending between the first andsecond ends; and a first outlet extending integrally from the bodyportion and defining first outlet passageway communicating with the bodyportion passageway, the first outlet including a valve having a valvehousing and a valve spool rotatably received within the valve housing, avalve stem extending from an end of the valve spool and in which thevalve housing accommodates the valve spool such that the valve stem isoriented in a first vertical direction and in which the valve housingalso accommodates the valve spool such that the valve stem is orientedin a second vertical direction, the second vertical directionsubstantially 180 degrees with respect to the first vertical direction.2. The manifold section of claim 1, in which the valve spool defines abore and in which the valve spool bore is generally coaxial to the firstoutlet passageway when the valve spool bore is in a first pivotalposition.
 3. The manifold section of claim 2, in which the valve spoolbore is generally transverse to the first outlet passageway when thevalve spool bore is in a second pivotal position.
 4. The manifoldsection of claim 3, further comprising a second outlet, the secondoutlet defining a second outlet passageway opening into the body portionpassageway and comprising a valve.
 5. The manifold section of claim 4,in which the first outlet further comprises a connector body a collet, acollar fixing the collet in the connector body, a guide disposed inboardthe collet, and a seal disposal inboard the guide.
 6. The manifoldsection of claim 5, in which the second outlet valve is substantiallyidentical to the first outlet valve.
 7. The manifold section of claim 6,in which the body portion is characterized by a longitudinal axis and inwhich the manifold section will mate with another substantiallyidentical manifold section in a first orientation or in a secondorientation, the second orientation in a substantially a 180 degreerotation from the first orientation about the body portion longitudinalaxis.
 8. A manifold assembly, comprising a plurality of manifoldsections, each of said plurality of manifold sections comprising a bodyportion substantially identical to the manifold section of claim
 7. 9.The manifold assembly of claim 8, in which the female connection of oneof said plurality of manifold sections is mated to a male connection ofanother of said plurality of manifold section.
 10. The manifold assemblyof claim 9, further comprising a divider section, the divider sectioncomprising a body portion and a partition disposed in the body portion,one of the plurality of manifold sections connected to a first end ofthe divider, another of the plurality of manifold sections connected toa second end of the divider.
 11. The manifold assembly of claim 10,further comprising a first end section and a second end section, eachsaid first and second end section comprising a body portion and an inletportion extending coaxially from the end section body portion, the firstend section in fluid communication with the first end of the dividersection and the second end section in fluid communication with thesecond end of the divider section.
 12. The manifold section of claim 1,wherein the body portion further comprises a first pair of bracketsflanking the male connecting structure and a second pair of bracketsflanking the female connecting structure, wherein each of the bracketsinclude openings for accommodating locking pins.